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Does this mean multiple users can not do synchronization simultaneously?
Q: Multiple users are not able to run the replication ActiveX control based programs simultaneously to synchronize Jet 4.0 databases. The program is throwing out the following errors:
21 036: Another merge agent for the subscription(s) is running.
Does this mean multiple users can not do synchronization simultaneously?
A: No, you should be able to run the program from multiple workstations simultaneously.
You are seeing this error, because in all your programs you are using the same ‘Subscriber Database’ name. So, before distributing your application to all your users, make sure you set the .SubscriberDatabase property to a different name in all your programs.
Unable to start distribution agent. It is failing with the following error:
21036: Another distribution agent for the subscription(s) is running.
But nothing is getting replicated. Stopping and starting SQL Agent didn’t help.
Sometimes it is possible that an orphan process could be running with the same name as the distribution agent, and restarting SQL Agent may not terminate it. This will prevent the user from starting the distribution agent.
You can verify this orphan process by querying sysprocesses. Under Replication Monitor, Agents, Distribution Agents, right click on the distribution agent select Agent Properties. From the properties dialog box, copy the name of the distribution agent and execute the following query.
select * from master..sysprocesses where program_name = ‘Name_of_the_agent’
From the output verify the waittype.
If you restart the SQL Server, this problem will be solved. If you can not restart SQL Server, then copy the spid of the distribution agent from the above agent and kill it using the Kill command.
Eg: Kill 21
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